This application pertains to a carrier substrate to be placed in trees either from the ground or preferably from the air, which carrier substrate has disposed thereon a chemical attractant for specific pests which attractants inhibits or disrupt the mating of the pest. The substrates are to be disposed in a multi-carrier dispenser apparatus for delivery to a specific situs. Certain substrates carry a pheromone delivery vehicle that can be in one of several formats.
The thrust of the biology aspect of this application pertains to pests known as the codling moth, which moth can reek havoc upon fruit and nut trees.
The female codling moth attracts males in order to reproduce by releasing minute amounts of pheromone. The male detects the pheromone and flies upwind through the pheromone plume to locate the female. This pheromone is called codlemone and has been synthesized both in this country and Japan for many years. The synthesized pheromone has been used in traps to act as a lure or bait to attract male moths. In such a manner, monitoring of the codling moth population can and has transpired.
The object of monitoring the codling moth population is to regulate the population to avoid damage to commercial fruit orchards. The reduction in the codling moth population is achieved by interfering with the mating process of the moth. In order to confuse the male moths, growers place pheromone dispensers in trees; usually by hand up till this invention, in large quantities to inhibit the males from finding the females. The dispensers release several thousand times more pheromone than is released by the female codling moth. Exposure to such high concentrations confuses the males and thus limits their ability to detect the females at the optimal time for mating of that specie.
Currently, pheromone dispensers are placed in trees by hand. Such a practice presents several problems. These include the high cost of distribution, reliance on unskilled labor, and the physical fact that to be effective, the dispensers must be placed in the upper part of the tree to be biologically effective. Such is often not achievable by hand as many fruit trees grow to heights of more than thirty feet tall.
It is a first object of this invention to provide a new carrier substrate dispenser for pheromone, which is used to frustrate mating of a specific pest.
It is a second object to provide a pheromone carrier substrate that can be disposed in trees from both the air and land.
It is a third object to provide pheromone carrier substrates that have instantly available pheromone, as well as carrier substrates that have timed-release pheromone sources thereon.
It is fourth object to provide a uniquely configured pheromone carrier substrate, which can be distributed from any of several modes.
It is a fifth object to provide a distribution apparatus that can be mounted on a helicopter body or a plane""s wing or body for the distribution of pheromone carrier substrates.
It is a sixth object to provide a unique carrier substrate that includes a plurality of surfaces for the deposition of pheromone.
Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.
The invention accordingly comprises the device possessing the features properties and the relation of components which are exemplified in the following detailed disclosure and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.
For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.